The Drawings Behind My Pots
Sketch rough pot ideas before making them to explore forms and develop a personal visual style without treating drawings as blueprints.
- Keep a notebook handy to capture ideas for future pots.
- Draw difficult forms repeatedly; use sketches to explore function, shape, and a consistent design family.
- Treat drawings as permission to experiment—their proportions and details can inform pots without being copied exactly.
The main value is the creator’s reflection; the notes capture the practical approach. · Best for: Ceramicists and makers developing forms or a personal visual style.
Florian Gadsby explains how rough drawings help him explore pottery ideas, especially challenging teapots, and develop a coherent visual style before working in clay.
Sketch ideas before making0:01
- Drawing lets him record ideas quickly, often filling several pages in the time it takes to throw one pot.
- Sketches are directional references, not precise blueprints; he keeps a notebook with him for future ideas.
Use repetition to refine forms0:51
- He repeatedly draws teapots because they are complex to make both functional and visually distinctive.
- Drawing and making unsuccessful forms helps him identify the style he wants to produce.
- He tests angular and stepped shapes while aiming for forms that feel like part of the same family.
Build a visual language1:39
- Drawing, writing, and photography have helped him envision his aesthetic; illustration has been most important.
- Rough, unfinished sketches let him explore ideas before committing to making them.
Let drawings inform the finished pot2:27
- Drawings disappear into the making process, but their proportions and details can remain in the finished work.
- He uses a leather-bound Paper Republic notebook to protect pages and keep ideas for later.
Step by step
- Carry a notebook and quickly sketch ideas as they occur.
- For challenging forms, draw repeatedly and explore different shapes and profiles.
- Compare forms and refine them toward a consistent design family.
- Use sketches as flexible references when making the pot; adapt rather than copy them exactly.
Tools & resources mentioned
- Paper Republic notebook — leather-bound notebook used to protect sketches and store ideas.
- Pencil and pen — used to make rough pottery sketches.
Notes are AI-generated from the video's transcript and may miss nuance.